Short and to the point 3

By Aaron Sullivan. Wolvserpent have a new album out. The two piece band consisting of Blake Green (guitar, vocals) and Brittany McConnell (drums, violin) released a one song E.P. entitled Aporia​:​Kāla​:​Ananta.

By Aaron Sullivan.


Wolvserpent have a new album out. The two piece band consisting of Blake Green (guitar, vocals) and Brittany McConnell (drums, violin) released a one song E.P. entitled Aporia​:​Kāla​:​Ananta.

Their last album Perigaea Antahkarana is among my favorite albums all time. The unique ability to combine DOOM, Classical, Drone, and Ambient is unlike any other band I know of. They are like a darker Godspeed You! Black Emperor. The song balances between sounding epic and still retaining a touch of rawness about it. They combine beauty and darkness seamlessly. This band never ceases to amaze.

James Brown III can not be stopped. He is constantly producing amazing music through many different entities and genres on his Rising Beast label. Well add another, Vorpal Sword.

The common thread through all his endeavors is experimentation. Never standing in one place for too long. Vorpal Sword's first album, 10,000 Stab Wounds, can be best described as a mix of noise and Punky Black Metal. The static is right up front, a wall of it if you like. Behind it is punky blackened riffs and vocals so deep in the mix they too become noise at some points. This music is in your face and unapologetic.

Then comes the new Vorpal Sword album, Pain. A 15 minute track that when it starts sounds like we are going down the same road. But as I said before, he is never standing one place for too long. Instead it goes into a what is a DSBM song drenched in staticy noise. Within the 15 minute track it shifts quite a bit. I get the sense it could have been divided into many songs but was made as one continuous track for a reason, and it works. From the opening it varies to noise/power electronic interludes, punky black metal, and back to more atmospheric Black Metal.

With Vorpal Sword he once again shows his versatility as an artist. Where he will go next I don’t know. But I know it will be interesting.

Not sure what it is, but for me, when I see a band is from Germany, even more so one that that plays the darker side of metal, I know I’m in for a treat. Germany rarely lets me down, and Dolch only further prove what I have found to be true.

They play a mix of dark gothy post punk with touches of ambient. Reminding me of Urfaust and Vindensång at times. Slow repetitive riffing, almost drone like. Heavy with mood and creating great atmosphere. The vocals are a clean female style. They add an ethereal quality to the darkness that only furthers the atmosphere. I was hooked at first listen. A very exciting new band I hope to hear more from.

Cover art by Bob Layzell

Unlike Germany Italy is the opposite for me. Not a knock on the quality of the music coming from that country but rather I have not heard anything that I enjoy. But Phobonoid's self titled album is working very hard to change that. A concept album highly influenced by sci-fi, with a written prologue on the Bandcamp page:

Distant flames, overlapping in the cloud of time.
The Alpha Centauri army moves towards the Solar System.
The will to power darkens the smell of putrefaction.
The Satellites Alliance must defend its territory, Phobos will have to embrace his weapons again.
Winning today to get lost tomorrow. Does it really matter?
Under the pall of mummified bodies lies the answer.

Phobonoid is one man band project of Lord Phobos. He mixes DOOM with Black Metal and hints of Industrial, along with ambient type instrumentals throughout the album. His raspy screams right in the middle of the mix. The music is dark and cold much like the outer space it takes place in.

From England comes black metal merchants Terra. There is a touch of mystery to them. The album is untitled, the songs merely numbered, no lyrics are given, they give only their first names and the cover is the dark void of space. But that only helps to draw focus to the music, and it’s a doozy.

They do such a great job of sounding raw and epic at the same time. Great atmosphere throughout. Spare use of vocals, it’s almost as if they are an instrumental band. At times I get a Wolves In The Throne Room vibe and other times I’m reminded of Altar of Plagues. Songs never stay on the same riff throughout a song. They shift constantly but it always feels natural not jarring at all. This was a favorite of mine from 2015. A very promising band.

Moonknight - Valinor

By Aaron Sullivan. Moonknight returns with a new album entitled Valinor. As was mentioned in my label profile of Rising Beast Recordings. Moonknight is the Atmospheric Black Metal solo project of James L. Brown of Harassor fame. The growth from the first album, Toplov, to Valinor is tremendous.

By Aaron Sullivan.

Artwork by William David Pollard

Moonknight returns with a new album entitled Valinor. As was mentioned in my label profile of Rising Beast Recordings. Moonknight is the Atmospheric Black Metal solo project of James L. Brown of Harassor fame. The growth from the first album, Toplov, to Valinor is tremendous. With each release he seems to get more and more comfortable with his style, and how to incorporate his influences into his music while making it his own. Valinor exemplifies this even more so than previous releases.

One of the first things you notice it that this is a very dark record. The atmosphere of the opening track is mid paced drumming, grindy guitars with an eerie synth sound over it. Vocals sit right in the middle of it all. The last few minutes vocals shift into a more Death Metal style and the music has hints of it also. Songs like "Broken Blade", "With Bright Knives" and "Aconitum" are among my favorites. They ooze sadness and depression. They take their time engulfing the listener in their melancholy. The buzz of the guitars is just right. Not too tiny and not too clean. He does this thing on "Broken Blade" that I enjoy and find a bit spooky. When the vocals kick there is a single keyboard like note played repeated over the top that just creates a cool feel

I also love the atmospheres he can create. Some, as mentioned, are dark and morose. But on a song like "Western Shores", the atmosphere is almost spacey, reminding me of Neptune Towers. The vocals on "Helplessness" are anguish personified. The main riff of the title track is so sorrowful it sounds as if the guitar is crying. It just tears through you. The whole album just gets to your core. James went through some tough times in the last year and this album certainly reflects that. I imagine that he, like many artists, find this to be cathartic and a way for him to work through his pain. For an artist to bare that pain for the listener to hear is brave, and that authenticity can be heard throughout Valinor.

Label spotlight: Rising Beast Recordings

Written by Aaron Sullivan.

Art by William David Pollard.

Rising Beast Recordings is based out of Los Angeles and run by James L. Brown. He may be most well known for being the guitarist of L.A. Black Metal band Harassor along with Pete on vocals and Andor on drums. A band I have had the pleasure of seeing many times as they are part of my local scene. The label seems to serve as a place for James to experiment with other genres of music he also enjoys. The three bands, other than Harassor, that are on the label are Moonknight, Dargar, and Attakkr along with some self-titled music. All different in their own way despite being from the same person.

First we start with Moonknight. Moonknight is best described as Atmospheric Black Metal. With three full lengths, two E.P.’s and two splits this is the band with the most material. The first album Toplov is very raw. Burzum-esque riffing, with distorted vocals. But with the second album, Ligeia, the production is a little less raw on most songs. The sound is full and the atmospheres even more present. Song lengths increase allowing him to do more in each song, the song "Thyrsgreiden" being a perfect example of this. That album even ends with an ambient track. With 2014’s Death Card it is a perfect mix of all that has come before. The production is not too raw and not too clean. It’s the sweet spot in between that gives great atmosphere but allows for everything to be heard. Even with shorter song length nothing is lost, they are leaner and meaner if you will. This is top notch Atmospheric Black Metal. Fans of Burzum, Striborg, and ColdWorld will not be let down.

[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]

[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]

Next up is Dargar. This sees James teaming up with Harassor singer Pete Majors doing guitar and vocals with James doing drum programming. Dargar are a Blackened Noise band. Harsh guitars over cold electronic drumming with gurgling distorted shrieks. The sound is ugly and violent at times. Other times slow and dark. Songs are disjointed and unnerving. At no time does this feel like safe listening. Can’t tell what the lyrics are, and I’m not sure I want to know. All of this adds up to a great listening experience for me. At the time of this writing I am on a big Noise/Dark Ambient kick, so this was just what I was looking for. While Moonknight’s atmospheres are expansive at times. Dargar’s atmosphere is claustrophobic, intense, and unsettling. Best heard with headphones in total darkness.

[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]

Then there is Attakkr. Best described as Ambient Drone. Three albums all recorded in 2006 but not released until 2013. Even though they are divided into three albums all the songs could really make up one album. These are songs to get lost in. At times it reminds me of Boris when they get drony. A song like Heavenly Bodies (from Blade of Ithiel) is aptly titled. As it makes me feel as though I am ascending into the sky. The song Amalantrah (from Zantetsuken) even having clean vocals and sounding like some lost Shoegaze track from the early 90’s. Never overly harsh with just the right balance of dark and dreamyness added to the mix.

[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]

[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]

There's also his self-titled material. The first being a Drone/Noise album Isle of the Dead. This one featuring another member of Harassor drummer Andor Kappen doing vocals on "Twilight of the Beast". At first listen I wondered why this had not fallen under the Attakkr name. But there are enough differences that I assume he felt the separation was needed. The cool part is each track really stands on it’s own. Drone runs through each, but the songs are all very different from each other. Like the Drone into Sludge of Psychometry or the shoegazy drone of The Hollow.

[Go to the post to view the Bandcamp player]

The other self-titled album may be the oddest of the bunch. It’s a two track Theremin album. Now I won’t pretend to love it. But I do love his willingness to experiment and try something new. It’s an interesting listen to say the least. Trippy, psychedelic, and a bit creepy all at the same time.

The thing that is impressive about this label is the variety found within. Now that is not too uncommon for a label. But the fact that it is primarily being done by one man is what really sets it apart and makes it more impressive to me. Many artists have tried to express themselves outside of their comfort zone. Some fail, some succeed. I count James L. Brown among the successes.